Just having a discussion with some people on another forum about maths and the Universe.

One argument is that maths is absolute and that it applies to everything. Every corner of the Universe and that it is perfectly absolute in describing it.

The other is that maths is a human invention to describe human interpretations and comprehensions of the Universe and is thus fallable. As humans cannot comprehend the Universe, our mathematics cannot be entirely accurate. That until we know the origins of the universe, until we can know what exists in other quadrants and sections of our universe we cannot be entirely sure if our laws apply.

(Original post by Teaddict)
The other is that maths is a human invention to describe human interpretations and comprehensions of the Universe and is thus fallable. As humans cannot comprehend the Universe, our mathematics cannot be entirely accurate. That until we know the origins of the universe, until we can know what exists in other quadrants and sections of our universe we cannot be entirely sure if our laws apply.

(Original post by Teaddict)
Just having a discussion with some people on another forum about maths and the Universe.

One argument is that maths is absolute and that it applies to everything. Every corner of the Universe and that it is perfectly absolute in describing it.

The other is that maths is a human invention to describe human interpretations and comprehensions of the Universe and is thus fallable. As humans cannot comprehend the Universe, our mathematics cannot be entirely accurate. That until we know the origins of the universe, until we can know what exists in other quadrants and sections of our universe we cannot be entirely sure if our laws apply.

We are still discovering the wonders of planet Earth - we are still discovering new life on our planet. How anyone can be so arrogant as to suggest we can comprehend the Universe and assume all of our laws and concepts/theories are correct is beyond me.

Hopefully we don't have a disgusting display of left wingers dancing and celebrating her death - how uncivilised and vile. Any councillor or public official who engages in such behaviour should be suspended.

(Original post by Teaddict)
Hopefully we don't have a disgusting display of left wingers dancing and celebrating her death - how uncivilised and vile. Any councillor or public official who engages in such behaviour should be suspended.

It will be interesting to see how many people who were angry at the celebration of OBL on 'human being dying =/= celebration time' arguments celebrate Baroness Thatcher's passing.

(Original post by elli_emc)
It will be interesting to see how many people who were angry at the celebration of OBL on 'human being dying =/= celebration time' arguments celebrate Baroness Thatcher's passing.

(Original post by Student2806)
It's worth reminding you all that she hasn't actually died.

I hope that the rumours aren't true, and if they are rumours I hate the way that twitter accentuates untruths, for the record, I'm just commenting. No media uptake so I'd presume that it's just malicious rumours. Has brought out some disgusting bile though. Really disappointing.

(Original post by Teaddict)
We are still discovering the wonders of planet Earth - we are still discovering new life on our planet. How anyone can be so arrogant as to suggest we can comprehend the Universe and assume all of our laws and concepts/theories are correct is beyond me.

I'm not quite sure what the finding of new species on earth has to do with theoretical physics.

(Original post by Teaddict)
So you agree with the argument that humans aren't yet capable of comprehending the Universe?

Yes, 'yet' being the key word though. What happens in the future, I don't know. But most of the things we say about the Universe are theoretical and assumptive. We can only see an incomprehensibly minute portion of the Universe at the moment, so I don't think anyone can say we really understand it, beyond what we actually observe.

We might live in a finite sized Universe that ends with a brick wall somewhere. We might live in an infinitely sized Universe that goes on and on forever. We might be alone. There might be billions of other civilisations out there. Hell, we might be part of a Truman Show-esque experiment. We simply don't know, and we're deluding ourselves if we say we do.

(Original post by Student2806)
Yes, 'yet' being the key word though. What happens in the future, I don't know. But most of the things we say about the Universe are theoretical and assumptive. We can only see an incomprehensibly minute portion of the Universe at the moment, so I don't think anyone can say we really understand it, beyond what we actually observe.

We might live in a finite sized Universe that ends with a brick wall somewhere. We might live in an infinitely sized Universe that goes on and on forever. We might be alone. There might be billions of other civilisations out there. Hell, we might be part of a Truman Show-esque experiment. We simply don't know, and we're deluding ourselves if we say we do.

Of course we can only comment on the hear and now

At least you are being reasonable, in the end I had to label this guy a religious fundamentalist - he has a masters in mathematics and works for Her Majesty's Government... yet he so narrow a mind.

(Original post by Smack)
I'm not quite sure what the finding of new species on earth has to do with theoretical physics.

New things come round the corner every day. We haven't discovered fully our own planet let alone the Universe.